Grain separator and grader



(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 1.

H. P. EDMA NDS.

GRAIN SEPARATOR AND. GRADER.

No. 249,911. Patented Nov. 22,1881.

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3 Sheets-Sheet 2 (No Model.)

H. P'. EDMANDS.

GRAIN SEPARATOR AND GRADER.

No. 249,911. Patented Nov. 22,1881.

\ V812 for N. PETERS. PhoRo-Lilhagnphur. Wahingkm, D.C,

(N0 Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 3.

H. P. EDMANDS.

GRAIN SEPARATOR AND GRADER.

No. 249,911. Patented Nov. 22,1881.

PETERS mm.- s r Washingkm n, c,

' UNITED STATES PATEN'T OFFICE.

HIRAM P. EDMANDS, OF GOVINGTON, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TOFREDERICK C. HEIMSATH, ,OF CINCINNATI, OHIO. I

GRAIN SEPARATOR AND GRADER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 249,911, dated November22, 1881.

Application filed June 28, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HIRAM P. EDMANDS, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Oovington, in the county of Kenton and State ofKentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a GrainSeparatorand Grader, of which the following is a specificat1on.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for grading andseparating grain;

and it has for its object to construct a compact machine with two airseparating chambers arranged transversely to each other, whereby a largearea in the air separating chambers is provided to separate the graininto two or three grades, and to permit the screens to be cleansed andchanged while the machine is in operation.

To these ends my invention consists, first,

in the combination, with two airseparating chambers located at thetop ofthe machine, of

ascreen chamber or box and shaking screens 5 the machine and receivingthe first grade of grain from one of the suction-spouts, a chutearranged beneath the shaking screens for conveying the grain into theother suction-spout, and a fan or fan-chamber arranged between 0 the airseparating chambers and the shaking screens; third,in the combination ofa screen chamber or box provided with a transverse stationary end boardhavinglongitudinal slots, with screen-frames and screens arranged to be5 removed and replaced through the slots in the stationary end board ofthe screen chamber or box.

The invention also consists in certain other combinations andarrangements ofparts,which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machineembodying myinvcntion. Fig.2 is afront elevation, partly in section, toillustrate the secondary separating-chambers. Fig. 3 is a centralhorizontal section of the pitman. Fig. 4

is a transverse section on line 00 a", Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a transversevertical section of the pitman and wrist-pin. Fig. 6 is a perspectiveview of the tightening pulleys or idlers. Fig. 7 is a plan view,illustrating the manner of driving the vertical fan-shaft from thehorizontal main 6 5 driving-shaft.

Referring to the drawin gs, the letters A A A indicate the frame-work ofthe machine; B, the fan chamber, arranged in the top portion of theframe of the machine; I), the air and dust discharge-spout 5 O, thefirst air separating chamber; 0, the hopper from which the grain isadmitted into the machine, 0, an inclined shelf on which the grainfalls; 0, aflue for admitting the air into the stream of wheat 5 as itfalls onto the shelf 0,- a, a damper or door for regulating theadmission of air through fine 0. g

The letter D indicates a vertical spout down which the heavy grainfalls, and up through which a current of air is drawn by the fan B tocarry off chaff, dust, and the lighter grains. d indicates a horizontalflue passing over the top of chamber 0, thence to the vertical spout Oon the opposite side of the machine from where the grain enters.

D indicates a secondary air separating chamber; a, an air-conduit ofcomparatively small area, to assist in carrying the dust and chaifthrough chamber D to the circular opening D, which connects chamber D tothe fanchamber B, through'which the dust and chaff pass to thedischarge-spout I). The lighter grains in descending the vertical flue dfall down the passage d, and are discharged out 5 of the machine byraising a valve or gate, 0. This completes the first step of separationand grading. The second step is performed onthe heavy portion, whichfalls down the vertical flue or spout D, which drops at once onto thescreens E in the screen chamber or box. This chamber or boxis composedof the closed side walls, F, and rear wall, F arranged inside the mainframe A A; and the shaking frame E, which carries and supports thescreens E, is pivoted at its rear endto the side walls, F, of the screenchamber or box by means of pivots m, while its forward portion issupported by bolts extending through vertical slots m in the side wallsof the screen chamber or box and adjustably held by thumb-nuts n, theobject of such arrangement being to permit the screen-frame E andscreens E to be adjusted into more or less inclined positions. Thescreen chamber or box is sustained on the up per ends of flat springs ff, which latter are attached at their lower ends to the base A of theframe-work.

To the side walls, F, of the screen chamber or box are rigidly attachedcross braces or pieces g, provided at their center with studs g, and tothe part A of the framework are rigidly attached pendent brackets a,provided with studs or pivots a. To these studs or pivots a. arecentrally pivoted upright arms or levers H, which have their lower endsconnected with the studs g, the upper ends of the arms 0 or levers beingconnected with the pitmen I,

all in such manner that the arms or levers H are arranged centrally withrespect to the ends of the screen box or chamber.

The pitman I is rigidly and permanently attached at one end to ametallic socket, K, by means of depending side straps, K K, andtransverse bolts or pins, and within the said socket are arranged twomovable or sliding boxes, 6 17, having semi-cylindrical bearings fit- 0ting the cranked end J of the main drivingshaft L. Between the end ofthe pitman and the inner box, i, is arranged a rubber cushion, J, andthrough the outer end of the socket K is tapped a screw, 7., which isfor the purpose of adjusting the sliding boxes 6, said screw beingprovided with a jam-nut, k, for holding it in its adjusted position. Theprovision of this construction of pitman prevents shocks occasioned bythe vibrating or shaking movements of the screen-box from being impartedto the driving-shaft, and the sliding boxes can be adjusted withoutdetaching the pitman from the lever H.

The letter L indicates the horizontal driving-shaft, and L the pulleymounted thereon, by which the oscillating motion is imparted to thescreen chamber or box, through the medium of the cranks, the pitmen, andconnecting-rods.

The transverse rear wall or end board, F, of the screen-frame E isslotted longitudinally, through which slots the screens E are'insertedand withdrawn, the ends of said screens filling up the slots when inposition. h indicates handles on the screens E, by which they arereadily withdrawn when the screen box or chamber F is in motion.

In operation, the grain passing through the lower screen is delivered toa cookie-screen, N, which is attached to the bottom of the screenchamber or box. This cookie-screen separates the particles of foreignmatter from the grain such as sand, cockle, &c.

N indicates inclined bottoms of the screen chamber or box, for couducting the grain onto the cockle-screen, which acts as a spout to dischargethe grain into the mouth of the secondary separating apartments, whichare placed on the machine transversely with the separating-chamberl).

0 indicates a vertical spout of the sci-0ndary separating-chamber P.

0 indicates an inclined chute or shelf, onto which the grain drops fromthe cockle-screen N, which lattercauses the grain to spread out into athin stream as it passes off the inclined shelf down and out the spout0, during which time it is subjected to the action of an airblastpassing up the spout O, which blast separates and carries off thelighter particles which have escaped separation in the formeroperations. The spout O is connected to the suction fan-chamber B, bymeans of the fines O 0 Q 1' and through openings D.

q indicates an additional separating-flue. The lighter grains which arecarried up the spout 0 drop into the flue q, and an air-current enteringthe division-flue t assists in carrying dust and chaff through theopening D", through the fan-chamber B, and out the dustspout b. The fanB is keyed to a vertical shaft, R.

R indicates a bridge-tree spanning the top of the part A of theframe-work.

S indicates a journal-hearing for the shaft R.

T indicates a pivot on crossbeam T, on which the end of shaft B isstepped.

S indicates a vertical pulley keyed to shaft R.

U indicates a driving-pulley mounted on the shaft L.

L indicates a transmitting-pulley for driving the fan-shaft R by beltingfrom pulley L over tightening-pulleys W W onto pulley S, keyed to shaftIt. By means of these pulleys, W W, the motion from the horizontal shaftis conveyed by a single belt to pulley S on the vertical shaft It, andthe pulleys W W change the direction of the belt from a vertical to ahorizontal pulley.

Theletteruindicates a stationary frame, having forked feet 16 bolted tothe frame A.

To the outer portion of the stationary frame it is hinged or pivoted aswinging bifurcated frame, V, the hinge or pivot in the present instanceconsisting ofjournals on the ends of the roller which extend through theframes V and it. Within the bifurcated swinging frame is arranged asecondary sliding frame, 10, in which is arranged thejournals of theroller WV, the projecting ends of the journals being arranged in boxesV, arranged to slide in slots in the swinging frame V. The adjustment ofthe roller WV to or from the roller W is efiected by the adjusting-screws, for the purpose of IIO loosening or tightening the belt Y.. Theswinging frame and its roller permit the parts toassume proper positionsfor changing the direction of the belt Y. This feature of my inventionaccomplishes a very useful result, as it avoids the use of bevel-gearsand conveys motion from a horizontal to a vertical shaft by a singlebelt with a minimum amount of friction and strain.

I do not broadly claim two air-suction chambers arranged transverselywith respect to each other above a fan and fan-chamber, as such ofitself is not my invention; nor do I here claim the construction ofpitman herein shown and described, as such will form the subject-matterof a separate application for Letters Patent.

What I claim isv 1. I11 a grain grader and separator, the combination,with the two separating blast-chambers located at the top of themachine, of the screen-chamber and the shaking screensin the lowerportion of the machine, arranged to receive the first grade of grainfrom the suctionspout of one of the separating blast-chambers, and toeffect a separation of foreign substances, and the fan and fan-chamberarranged between the air separating chambers and the shaking screens,the said members being organized to operate substantially as described.

2. In a grain grader and separator, the combination of two airseparating suction-chambers located transversely to each other at thetop of the machine, and provided with the depending suctiouspouts O andD, the screenchamber and the shaking screens arranged in the lowerportion of the machine and receiving the first grade of grain from thespout D, the chute arranged beneath the shaking screens for conveyingthe'graiu into the spouts O, and the fan and fan-chamber arrangedbetween the air separating chambers and the shaking screens, saidmembers being organized to operate substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination of the screen-chamber F, provided with thetransverse'stationary end board, F, having longitudinal slots, withscreen-frames and screens arranged to be re moved and replaced throughthe slots in the stationary end board without removing the latter,substantially as described.

4. The combination,with the horizontal shaft L and its driving-pulleyand the vertical shaft R audits drivin g-pulley, of thep ulleyW, mount-'ed in a stationary frame, the swinging bifurcated frame V, the pulley W,arranged within the swinging frame, and the belt Y, all substantially asand for the purpose described.

5. The combination, with the shakin g screenframe supported above theflat springs f, of the transverse driving-shaft L, having a cranked end,J, the pitman I, vertical lever H, pivoted at or near its center, andthe stud g, centrally attached to the screen-frame, to which thelowerend of the vertical lever is directly secured, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

HIRAM P. EDMANDS. Witnesses EUGENE L. FrRNKoEss, J. H. CHARLES SMITH.

